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saying the process will be complete in 35 days.
Addressing journalists yesterday, Copac co-chairperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora (MDC-T) said the three drafters had already been briefed on their terms of reference.
“The three principal drafters, Justice Moses Chinhengo, Mrs Priscilla Madzonga and Mr Brian Crozier got their brief and terms of reference from Copac on the 28th of November to begin their work on December 5.
“They will also be working in close consultation with the Select Committee and the 17 technical experts.
“The much awaited drafting process will take at least 35 days from the date of commencement,” he said.
Justice Chinhengo is a former judge of the High Court but is now at the High Court of Botswana.
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Mrs Madzonga is in private practice and has over 20 years experience.
Mr Crozier is a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe and worked at the Attorney General’s Office as a director of legal drafting.
Mr Mwonzora said Copac had done a lot of preliminary work for the drafters.
“The drafters come at a time when a lot of preliminary work for drafting has been done by Copac, some of which, includes the adoption of a framework for drafting as well as identifying constitutional issues,” he said.
Mr Mwonzora said there were some outstanding constitutional issues that had not been agreed, but was optimistic that an agreement will be reached soon to ensure the smooth drafting of the constitution.
He said the issues constituted about 20 percent of matters to be sent for drafting and include issues to do with citizenship, the death penalty, the AG’s role and systems of governance among others.
Mr Mwonzora said the issues will be resolved through consultation within Copac and research on best practices by the 17 experts that were seconded by all the parties and traditional leaders.
Copac co-chairperson, Cde Paul Mangwana (Zanu-PF), said after the production of the draft they will return to the timelines set under Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement that necessitated the writing of the new constitution.
“After the production of the draft we would go back to the timelines set under Article 6.
“We will have a second all stakeholders conference within 20 days of production of the draft and then notify Parliament within a month and then the referendum within three months,” he said.
Cde Mangwana said the issue of funding had been rectified with both Government and the donor community committing to ensure that the process is completed.
The writing of the new constitution has been hampered by lack of funding and political squabbles among the three parties in the inclusive Government.
The new constitution will lead to the holding of elections to end the inclusive Government.
Zanu-PF has been saying the inclusive Government was not workable and elections should be held to end the arrangement.
Online Reporter